Integrating Faith & Science with Muslims, Christians & Jews
Science presented from a monotheistic worldview is a neglected forum to bring together people of the great monotheistic faiths. Explaining the question of origins through the common belief in one creator God is a point of unity which is not encumbered with theological differences. Christian countries in the west have numerous centers which present the contributions of historic Christian scientists, and the Muslim world has a similar emphasis on historic Muslim scientists. However, there is not really any effort to present these three perspectives together as a means of building bridges between Muslim, Christian and Jewish faith communities.
Much of the media around the world present Muslims, Christians and Jews as being in opposition to each other. In reality, the main impediment to growth for these faith communities is the growing acceptance of atheism and the postmodern worldview that deny the existence of God. As practicing Muslims, Christians and Jews know, there are many points in common, such as the origin of the universe. Another commonality is the alarming number of youth who are abandoning their faith. Although there are certainly numerous reasons for this, it is clear that an inability to integrate their beliefs with modern science is high on the list. If we do not show our youth how to do this, they will either abandon their faith or compartmentalize their faith and science, leading to an unhealthy, disjoint lifestyle. Both are inacceptable. We can continue these efforts with our youth inside our respective communities, but how much more powerful to do it together with Muslims, Christians and Jews, learning from one another and building upon existing efforts? Our youth need to see current and historic examples of scientists who are motivated by their faith: men and women, Muslims, Christians and Jews. Francis Collins, who led the team to decode the human genome, and now serves as the head of the National Institute of Health is a practicing Evangelical Christian who just received the prestigious Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion. Fatima El Fihri is an example of a woman motivated by her faith who founded the oldest university in the world: in Fes, Morocco in 859. Maimonides was a famous 12th century Jewish astronomer and scientist as well as an accomplished theologian.
Science presented from a monotheistic worldview is a neglected forum to bring together people of the great monotheistic faiths. Explaining the question of origins through the common belief in one creator God is a point of unity which is not encumbered with theological differences. Christian countries in the west have numerous centers which present the contributions of historic Christian scientists, and the Muslim world has a similar emphasis on historic Muslim scientists. However, there is not really any effort to present these three perspectives together as a means of building bridges between Muslim, Christian and Jewish faith communities.
Much of the media around the world present Muslims, Christians and Jews as being in opposition to each other. In reality, the main impediment to growth for these faith communities is the growing acceptance of atheism and the postmodern worldview that deny the existence of God. As practicing Muslims, Christians and Jews know, there are many points in common, such as the origin of the universe. Another commonality is the alarming number of youth who are abandoning their faith. Although there are certainly numerous reasons for this, it is clear that an inability to integrate their beliefs with modern science is high on the list. If we do not show our youth how to do this, they will either abandon their faith or compartmentalize their faith and science, leading to an unhealthy, disjoint lifestyle. Both are inacceptable. We can continue these efforts with our youth inside our respective communities, but how much more powerful to do it together with Muslims, Christians and Jews, learning from one another and building upon existing efforts? Our youth need to see current and historic examples of scientists who are motivated by their faith: men and women, Muslims, Christians and Jews. Francis Collins, who led the team to decode the human genome, and now serves as the head of the National Institute of Health is a practicing Evangelical Christian who just received the prestigious Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion. Fatima El Fihri is an example of a woman motivated by her faith who founded the oldest university in the world: in Fes, Morocco in 859. Maimonides was a famous 12th century Jewish astronomer and scientist as well as an accomplished theologian.